Pass It On...Oral History and Your Child
My phone rang during dinner the other night.. “Grandmommy, you need to talk with this lady.” It was my 8-year-old grandson and he’d found me a genealogy lead. A lady driving down the street had noticed their fairly unusual name on the mailbox and had stopped to ask if they were related to her cousin. It turns out that there was a connection — and another contact made.
As we’re so busy gathering data and putting it into files and/or the computer — let’s not forget to share it orally on a continuing basis. We probably remember our grandparents as being old; well, I hate to say it — but most of us are those grandparents now. If we don’t share the family history, it may still be lost. And these kids — especially those whose families have broken up or are scattered throughout the world — are fascinated by the tales of their family. If you can find some royalty or a scalawag — that makes it even better (from a child’s viewpoint.)
Tell your stories of growing up — it doesn’t seem that long ago to us — but it’s ancient history to the under-10 set. When you go to the Pioneer Settlement (or other historic sites), point out how the displays there relate to your family. Was Great-grandpa a blacksmith? — visit the blacksmith shop and talk about the importance of the blacksmith’s wares (and if you introduce your child as the grandchild of a blacksmith, you’ll probably get the “grand tour.”) Was Grandma a farm wife? — visit the old-time farm and talk about how hard the life was at that time. When you hear that your 4th grader is studying the American Revolution (or any other time frame), pull out the information you’ve gathered about ancestors living in that time. My grandkids are still indignant over the British treatment of their 8th great-grandfather who was transported as a 12-year-old for [supposedly] stealing a handkerchief. They’ll remember that time in history by being able to relate to it.
So talk to the kids (yours or any one else's) and help make history real to them. Your book on the family may never happen — but the information stored in the memories of those future genera tions will keep history alive.
Written by Betty Jo Stockton and previously published in Treasure Chest News, the newlsetter of the Central Florida Genealogical Society. Used with permission.
Selected Genealogy Sites
Beginners
FamilySearch.org - Discovering Your Family Tree
FamilySearch.org - A Guide to Research
Cemetery Resources Online
The USGenWeb Tombstone Transcription Project
Census Transcripts
Census links and resources at About.com
Citing Sources
Citation Guides for Electronic Documents
Citation Style Guides for Internet and Electronic Sources
A Cite For Sore Eyes - Quality Citations for Electronic Geneology Sources
GenWeb Projects
The British Isles GenWeb Project
The East Europe GenWeb Project
The Middle East GenWeb Project
The North American GenWeb Project